The Difference
by utter77confusion
Summary: Two oppisites, mortal enemies, loss of trust, and an unforgetable story about what would happen if it all changed, and things became so much more complicated
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own "Avatar the last Air bender" at all**

Zuko held his gaze on the water peasant, frustration and anger swelling up his chest. How this foolish girl could be matching his best moves, he did not know… Just the thought of this...this…girl, made his anger flame up his spine.

"I would've expected more coming from you Zuko! Perhaps I underestimated your abilities?" Katara spat with just as much anger.

"Quiet girl! I have no reason to waste my time and energy on you!" Katara glared at the prince's response, appalled at the lack of respect he had for her, or her kind. "Now, to end this fight..," With one swift kick, flames rose from Zuko's foot and aimed towards the tree behind Katara's head, setting the branches and leaves on fire. She yelled, jumping back as a flame burnt her arm.

"Zuko, you...you, the forest!" Katara groaned as she held onto the flame relieving herself as fast as she could, gripping the ground and crawling away. Zuko hesitantly walked away, as if he should help her,…or come back? After all, he wasn't going to burn her alive or hurt her all too much. Although she was a peasant, and the avatar's friend… He gritted his teeth…

"Next time…don't get in my way." With a quick glare he set out back towards his uncle Iroh. who had both the avatar and Sokka captive. Zuko didn't even bother taking the water girl because she would only cause him trouble… so she'd be left here in the forest, with the fire.

Katara coughed as flames rose up towards other trees, and she got up and ran as far as her legs could take her. She knew her friends would be safe because they were with Iroh and Zuko, but her life was in danger.

The leaves on rows and rows of trees became enflamed and the forest was quickly catching fire. Thank god there were not any villages near, Katara thought as she came near a river. If she was strong enough, if she had more benders, she'd be able to put out the fire.

"Zuko that ignorant…" Suddenly the flames grew higher and seemed to have spun around her, the weather growing intensively hot, the smell of burning bark growing stronger, Katara's lungs growing weaker… and the last Katara saw was a surrounding ring of red, pitch black scenery, and a shadow of a man…

Meanwhile at the camp…

"You should drink some tea you know, it's good for your health," Uncle Iroh said calmly placing his cup down on the saucer.

"Oh yeah old man, we're really concerned about our health right now…while were tied up in ropes!" Sokka yelled squirming around against the pole. "Let us go!"

"Using force upon an object will not get you the prize…" Iroh said smiling at Sokka, who was red with rage.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Well of course it does, you're just too stupid to figure it out for yourself. Now, you don't want tea?" Sokka shot his head back in frustration.

"Please mister, I have to go find Katara. Zuko went out to fight her again didn't he?" Ang said tied right to the ground, his mouth basically in mud. Iroh smiled looking up from his cup, steam rising up his nostrils.

"Indeed he did avatar. Seems my nephew likes his challenge and a few other things…" Ang's eyes shot out, making his mouth fill with dirt and bugs. He spit it out quickly, forcing his chin up to look at the fire bender.

"He LIKES Katara!"

"Well I never said THAT. My nephew is confusing, and he doesn't know what's good for hi…" Iroh paused and set his tea down with a crash. "We must go..now!" Sokka stopped banging his head on the pole, and sniffed the air with his nostrils.

"IT'S FIRE!" Sokka thrashed more as Iroh grabbed his tea set and shoved them into his bag.

"We must hurry, seems like the battle wasn't good. We have to look for Zuko."

"But my SISTER! That…"

"We'll look for both of them." Iroh un-tied the boys, and headed for the smoke.

"Oh NO old man, we're heading out of here and looking for Katara, you can find Zuko on your own!"

"No, we have to go with him, where Zuko is, Katara is." Ang said finally speaking up. We'll cover more ground with Apa."

"We don't have time for Apa! We need to go NOW." Sokka said behind Iroh.

Katara's eyes fluttered as a spinning headache swirled in her head. The shadow she'd seen before she passed out hovered over her, and the soft smell of a camp fire made its way up her nostrils.

"Where…," The shadow stopped leaning over her and sat beside her. Suddenly her vision became clearer. Katara jumped right up.

"Zuko!" Zuko got on his legs too, and readied in stance.

"Don't bother little girl, I just saved your life." Katara's furious eyes became soft and she felt her stomach begin to turn.

"You…you…saved me?"

"I did. Now don't think of it, it'll never happen again."

"Why did you...do that?" Zuko didn't know, didn't want to. Than again who else would challenge him and perhaps be closer to defeating him?

"Because I did. Now your fine, I'm leaving." Zuko started to walk, but Katara put a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, even though it was you who set the forest on fire...that was very nice of you." Zuko stared down at her long colored fingers; they seemed to firmly grasp his broad flesh.

"You reall…" Zuko yanked away his shoulder and turned to face her.

"I said, don't think of it!" Katara stepped back in bewilderment, than again she didn't know why she thought he'd act otherwise.

"You're such an arrogant pig!" Zuko gave a defiant stare and grabbed her arm.

"How dare you speak to a prince in such a manner, you peasant!" Katara stared up at him, her blue eyes like icicles.

"YOU shouldn't even be a prince!" With a whip of her arm, Katara swished the water around her hand from the nearby river and whipped it onto Zuko's simmering face.

"I'll show you who shouldn't be a prince!"

Zuko jumped in the air spinning a 360 fire whip into Katara's wave of water that seemed to drop as the two elements met.

"You're so...so...hot tempered, and spoiled!" Katara whipped icicles at a flame throw made by the prince. "You can't even…you don't care about anybody but yourself!" Water waves and ice shot up from the river like blades coming towards Zuko, who seemed to be enjoying and yet feeling so irritated at this girl's speech.

"Shut up water bender! You don't know what you're talking about!" Zuko came at Katara with flames spinning in all directions, water and fire being thrown this way and that. While the two couldn't keep there aggravated eyes off each other. Flames rise from the trees that were being caught on fire from the previous ones, and none of them seemed to notice.

"How could you be so careless? Be apart of…Why do you want the avatar now!" Zuko glared at this girl with such hate and yet…

"That really is none of your business you stupid girl, and if I were you I'd stay away from my plans!" Katara pushed a block of ice into Zuko which caught him off guard. He went sailing into a tree, and felt his head…blood. "Why I ought to…" Just than a branch snapped off the tree sailing into Zuko.

"Watch out!" Katara yelled running towards him, Zuko leapt from the ground just in time to roll onto the other side of the tree. "Zuko! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Just leave me be wa…" Just than Katara whipped back her hand and smacked Zuko's face.

"I have a name! And it's not water girl, its not peasant, and it's not any other name you call me!" Zuko grabbed her wrist just as she was about to hit him again.

"I…"

"Katara!" Katara looked up to see her friend and brother on the giant flying Bison. She smiled broadly as there cheery faces were alright, and no one was hurt.

"Aang, Sokka, you're okay!" Katara ripped Zuko's grip on her wrist and raced up to them, enveloping them in hugs. In a moments notice Aang released Katara and angrily stepped in-front of a fuming Zuko.

"You weren't supposed to let them go!" Zuko shouted to his uncle, his face glaring down upon the avatar.

"What're you talking about...I was just gonna let you sit out here with that young lady and roast to death, give me more credit than that nephew." Iroh sat on a boulder near the flames, picking at burning bark.

"That's not the point! You kidnapped Katara, and you better…"

"I want nothing to do with that…" For seconds Zuko thought of what she had said before, about her name. What he shouldn't call her…"That GIRL." Katara's eyes became slits as she held back another water whip. "But this has nothing to do with her, it is you, I'm after." Zuko and Aang both got into to stance when Iroh stepped in-front of them.

"I thought I'd let you know that the whole forest is going to be on fire if it spreads anymore…But continue anyway…" Iroh sat back down on the boulder while the rest stared in amazement at how many trees were already catching fire.

"We have to do something!" Katara cried glancing at Aang.

"We need water…and lots of it!" Aang said staring at Katara.

"My bending skills aren't that good; it'd take at least eight water benders to put this out!" Zuko stared at the forest and than back at his uncle Iroh who was sitting on the boulder. He caused this...thing, he needed to think of something, besides he'd need this to be over so he could capture the avatar and gain his own dignity and pride. Just than he looked over at the giant animal who had been busy drinking water from the river…an animal that size could just as easily become a water bender...without the bending.

"YOU!" He said pointing towards Aang." Use that animal to hose down all the fire!" Aang stared at Zuko flabbergasted as he looked back at Appa.

"He's right boy, you can do it! Hose all the water!" Appa lazily spun around with a gigantic gulp of water in his mouth and spit it towards the forest. Within seconds hundreds of trees were put out. "Alright Appa! Good boy!" Katara glanced at Zuko as she felt him staring at her from the other edge of the forest. His eyes darted back to his uncle who was lazily sleeping against the boulder. Any thoughts of capturing the avatar alone were behind him, especially with Katara around, the strong water bender.

"Okay, so yay we've saved the forest and all is well…Now lets get the heck out of here!" Katara watched as Sokka pointed towards Appa who was on his last splurge.

"You're not going anywhere!" Zuko yelled nodding towards his uncle, who just barely made it up.

"Oh yes we are!" Just than wind came swirling in, causing both Iroh and Zuko to cover there faces with there arms, dirt flying above there heads. "We'll talk to you soon Zuko! And Iroh, thanks for the tea!"

"You're welcome!" Iroh said happily waving goodbye. Zuko's blood boiled as he kicked the dirt.

"This is NOT the end." Iroh shrugged and handed Zuko his bag.

"You know nephew I think you've got some problems…Come, we'll have tea." Zuko moaned as they headed down the road.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own "Avatar the last Airbender"**

"Well I'm glad that's over; my wrists are killing me…" Sokka complained, rubbing his arms.

"You think that's bad, try eating dirt for an hour!" Aang rubbed his tongue with his hands as both Sokka and Katara laughed.

"So, what happened with you and Zuko, Katara?" Aang asked a little embarrassed for bringing the subject up, rather remembering Iroh's. Katara's eyes became furious and she crossed her arms.

"He's still an arrogant slob, and I hate him!" Aang smirked at this, because he was little worried, after all, Zuko was a prince. "I still match him at his techniques too!"

"Well of course Katara, you're a great water-bender." Aang said disappearing into a red face. Katara smiled as well, not flushing at all. Aang sank into Apa's fur disappointingly.

"Ooo you're a great water-bender!" Sokka said in a high pitch girly voice. His hands were tucked under his chin as he batted his eyelashes.

"Sokka!" Katara said whipping him with the water from her bottle. "Sorry Aang, Sokka is soo immature!" Sokka rubbed his face with his hand as he pouted exasperated.

"Yeah, he…definitely is." Aang said further burying himself in Apa's fur. He made sure to turn around so she wouldn't see his face.

"So, we're stopping right? I am soo tired." Sokka announced, his feet all spread out.

"Well, there's a village just north of here if we take a short cut." Aang exclaimed pointing to small clouds of smoke.

"Yeah, we've been riding for hours now." Aang glanced at Katara as she yawned with her statement." That fight with Zuko really tired me out, we'll definitely head north." She smiled sweetly at Aang who caught him-self staring at her again.

"Yeah…so we will." Aang's face became a little brighter as he brought Apa north of there way.

"Are you sure we can't just catch the avatar after tea?" Iroh said holding out his kettle. At this point he wouldn't have a drop until Zuko found Katara. "So you're going to kidnap this girl, and use her as a threat to the avatar? My nephew could you be anymore…"

"Enough uncle!" Zuko cut him off with a glare so cold; it burnt holes into Iroh's face. "This plan will work, and I don't care who she is, even though she's just a mere peasant!" Iroh shrugged and continued walking in the village of "Abaeyth." The streets were lit up with glowing orange lights that sparkled off the many red robes that made the village, most who were fire-benders.

Zuko pulled his hat down upon his face so he was not recognizable. His uncle and him-self were still wanted, and no doubt a village with this many fire benders would have loyalty with the lord. "Let's find a place to stay…" Zuko whispered to his uncle who was enjoying his time watching the display of fireworks.

"Can't we just stay and enjoy ourselves? Why must you insist on always going and locking yourself in a room?" Zuko rolled his eyes and gave his uncle a wave.

"Just don't be foolish and get yourself seen." Iroh grinned sheepishly and walked off into the crowd of dancers.

As Zuko walked along the path up to a small building, he re-thought his plan on catching the avatar. He had to catch the girl, the water bender. He bawled his hands into fists as he thought about her. How graceful and fluent she could bend, while he cursed and scorned fire bending. It wouldn't take long for the avatar to take her back, to rescue her, than he'd have him trapped, or what if he escaped? Zuko searched for ways in his mind to lead the avatar into his trap, but how? He knew what mattered the most to him, and it was that pitiful water girl…'water' girl, she had told him she hated that… He shook his head quickly and despised letting him-self think of her any other way than what she was…A pitiful, loud mouth, hot headed, WATER bender… He opened the doors to the hotel and lowered his hat, so his face was just a shadow.

"Hello sir, may I help you?"

"I would like a room for two." The clerk smiled at him and leaned closer as if to see who it was. Zuko backed up and threw the money on the counter. "Give me my room." The woman stepped back shakily and handed him a key.

"H-h-here you go sir. H-h-have a nice d-d-day." Zuko took the keys and walked towards his room in silence as the clerk watched after him.

As Zuko stared out the window, he could see his reflection faintly tainting the glass. He scowled at the mirror image of him-self, the scar staring back at him, mockingly, insultingly, stinging his pride. How could he…'NO' he told himself, he wouldn't think of that…The lights from the street reflected off the poles they were nestled into. Shouts of laughter, and sellers filled the hotel with murmurs, and it all exhausted him. Than he touched it, touched his face as a tear rolled down his fair cheek. "How dare you!" Zuko yelled almost too him-self, but inside he was yelling at the betrayer, betrayer of his life…

What seemed to be a fine day turned into one of those days Zuko wished he hadn't been alive, wished that he had burnt all of him, not just his face, and his heart…'He', that man…

Zuko looked down to hear what seemed to be screams coming from the centre of the streets, commotion was brought up, and there were bangs at the hotel door.

"UNCLE!" Zuko screamed worried and yet annoyed.

"We're looking for these wanted men, have you seen one of them come up here…" The voice of an officer was heard from downstairs and the murmur of the gossipy lady. Zuko knew it was time to leave, within seconds thumps were coming from the stairs, a lot of them, too many to fight.

Zuko pried the windows open and jumped onto the roof of the hotel, leaping onto a string of lights and landing into an alleyway. Officers looked down from the window, yelling orders. "Get him!" The head officer cried, pointing towards Zuko who was now running down the streets. '_Where is uncle?_' Zuko thought looking for a familiar face. He would not leave unless he found him.

As he wanderd, trying to hide himself, he looked for the shouts and screams he had heard earlier, obviously this commotion caused by his uncle…

"Run this WAY!" Zuko sped around so fast he hit someone familiar after all… but not his uncle.

"As if we don't have enough problems!" Sokka tried to push past the prince but was stopped with a snatch of his neck.

"Sokka!" Katara's voice cried as she pushed past the crowds. The guards were shortly behind them, so Zuko had to act quickly. He threw Sokka to the side and let him land with a huge '_thump!_' near a cart full of apples, sure enough all hundreds of them fell on-top of him.

"Aang!" Katara yelled behind her for help, but sure enough in good luck, the avatar's distant voice told Zuko that Katara was his for the taking. With a quick grab, Zuko placed a tight grip on her arm, and dragged her to the floor, hushing her mouth with a piece of cloth. "D-d-don…" Her voice was muffled and Zuko began to run.

"She's mine avatar, good luck getting her from me!" Zuko's voice seemed to carry throughout the conversations, till Aang's swift moments carried the celebration to an utter stop. Wind vibrated the streets, and made mini tornadoes in his steps searching furiously for Katara.

"Give her back Zuko!" At the sound of his name all eyes shot towards his shadow making its way towards the forest, and almost immediately more officers were called to the scene.

"There the avatar, and Prince Zuko was heard he went into the forest!" A random man said pointing towards the bald monk, and the shadows. Hands clobbered Aang and Sokka who had just recovered from being bombarded with apples.

"Okay, that's it," Sokka said bluntly. "I am never traveling with you again…" He sighed once again feeling tight ropes meet his wrists.

"The rest of you, after the prince!" The officer yelled dragging the other two back to the cells.

"Let go of me!" Katara yelled after Zuko had taken the cloth off of her mouth. He frowned down upon her, as they lost the guards from the village.

"Maybe I should've left that cloth on your mouth you little peasant!" Zuko said resting on a log and tying her to a nearby tree.

"Maybe you should've left me at the village too, but that didn't seem to occur!" Zuko gnashed his teeth and threw a quick fireball at her feet. She hadn't even winced. "Just shut up, and don't make me put that cloth on your face again!" His eyes narrowed to slits as she rolled her face the other way to ignore him. "Or maybe that's what you want!"

"I never said anything!"

"You didn't have too!" Katara struggled against the tree, squirming around angrily.

"You're impossible! I haven't done anything to you!"

"Not only are you a stupid water bender, you're a liar! You've caused me trouble since I met you!" Katara's eyes flamed and she kicked his leg hard with her foot. Zuko gave out a loud yelp, and he kneeled down to face her. "I have just about had it with you water girl, I might not even give you back to that avatar, and he can watch you die!" Katara's eyes widened and she spit in his face, raging his anger up to its level. He ripped her ropes off wrathfully from the tree, and kicked a fire spiral so high in the air it would've alerted the troops that were still looking for them. Zuko didn't care though, this girl...was irritating!

Katara readied in her stance for yet another fight between the both of them. How dare he use her name, her tribe so vulgarly! With a quick spin, Katara's graceful movements sent ice crystals like daggers into Zuko's flames that seemed to be moving fast. The fire spilt over her, as the Ice crystals slashed and cut some through Zuko's body. They both moaned in pain as they forcefully continued, than Katara looked up at the flame that started amongst a tree, and whipped her water at it quickly. There was a village nearby, and there was no way, as much as she wanted to defeat Zuko, that she'd let him destroy a whole village…With utter disgust and annoyance Katara sat back down against the tree.

"I'm…I'm sorry okay. Just, let's not fight here." Zuko, whose flames were ready, confusingly stared at her for a moment to call her bluff. But the water girl was honest, and she truly did not want to fight…Perhaps she had felt defeated? Zuko almost laughed at this thought, and pushed it away immediately, this girl would never give up, especially against him. Maybe she was thinking of the other forest fire, aha! He thought, the village nearby, she would think of that…He decided he'd use this against her anyway, even if he knew truly as to why she had stopped.

"I understand." Zuko said sitting down on the other side of the rock. _Katara's eyes shined. Does he really get what I mean, thank god, maybe he's not so…_"I get that you're too weak to fight me."

"What!" Katara said jumping out of place, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up in anger and frustration. "How…that is NOT the reason! I would challenge you any-day!"

Zuko laughed whole heartedly enjoying the water-benders vigor.

"Don't waste your time Katara, you'd never beat me!" For a second Zuko didn't know what he said that made her so still…either than probably say her name, which gave her more respect than she deserved, he thought skeptically, _dammit_! "Besides peasant, I have far better training than you would ever, or could ever get!" Zuko almost spat the words peasant to make his point clear, he would never treat her with respect, ever! And he _did_ make his point. Snapping out of the daze, Katara angrily bit her tongue from getting Zuko mad like before.

"Actually…Zuko, I trained with the master bender in the North pole." Zuko rolled his eyes and nestled onto a nearby patch of grass,

"My uncle trained me, and he is a master…" For a moment Katara was angry about this comment, he had no business looking down upon people he had probably never met before. But for the first time, Zuko actually seemed to pay respect to that crazy old man…

"He…does seem to…You're really close with your uncle Iroh aren't you, even with the way you seem to act with him." Zuko shot up from the ground and glowered over at her.

"I do not treat my uncle without the least bit of reverence, so don't you dare tell me otherwise!" With that, Zuko got up and settled himself behind the tree, away from Katara's view. "If you try and leave I'll make sure that forest fire happens again, and don't think the avatar will be there to save you with that giant cow of his, he's in the cell…with the fire nation." Katara's hand felt her mouth, and for the first time in a long while she felt trapped, and cried. Zuko on the other hand felt trapped and angry...but how was that any difference?


End file.
